Stopper for bottles.



un/knew ea G. F. ELLIOTT.

STOPPER FOR BOTTLES.

APPLICATION man Dec. 4. 1914.

cow LANOGRAPH c 00000 sHlNnTON, n. c.

Patented Oct. 19, 1915.

GEORGE E. ELLIOTT, OF WASHINGTON, DIEETL'tIG-T OF COLUMBIA.

STOPPER FOR BOTTLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented @et. 1915 Application filed December 4, .914. Serial No. 875,511.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Greece F. ELLIOTT, a citizen of the United States, residing at lVashington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stoppers for Bottles; and 1 do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in stoppers for bottles, and it consists in pro viding a cheap, simple and e'liicient improve ment in the construction of the well-known form of metal stopper for bottles provided with a cork filler which is now largely in use.

According to this form of stopper now so generally used, there is a cup-shaped metal shell with crimped edges into which is inserted a disk of cork, the stopper is pressed down over the neck of the bottle and the edges crimped beneath the shoulder on the said neck; thus eifectually sealing the bottle. In this construction, however, it is necessary to provide disks of cork of high quality, and of the requisite degree of thickness, free from cracks, etc.

I have discovered that the bark of the white birch, or of the yellow or silver birch, may be cut into disks of the requisite thickness and affords a cheap and excellent substitute for the resilient cork hitherto found necessary in such closures.

The bark of the birch tree is composed essentially of two separate strata, the inner strata, constituting the inner bark, being hard and woody, resembling the bark of the beech and that of many other trees in its composition; while the outer bark of the birch is composed of numerous thin layers or sheets of strong fibrous material, which may be readily separated from the inner bark and from each other, and each sheet being flexible as paper or cloth, and also being impervious to water. These layers contain little, if any, gum or resinous substances, and are tasteless. Moreover, these layers of bark contain between them and also between the fibers of each layer more or less air which is compressed when the bark is subjected to heavy pressure and expands again when said pressure is removed; thus affording a considerable amount of resiliency in a girpietion transverse to the laminw of the According to my inven'ion, I divide the bark into sheets of the desired thickness and then cut out of these sheets disks which may have either cylindrical or beveled edges, as will be hereinafter described, and these disks may be either inserted directly in the cap of the stopper; or the edges may be sewed or fastened with metal strips, strips of paper cloth, or may be caused to adhere by the application of gum or cement to prevent the edges of the disk from warping an d curling up before being introduced into the metal can of the stopper.

My invention will be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the same parts are indicated by the same letters throughout the several views.

Figure 1 shows the neck of a bottle closed with my improved stopper, parts being snown in section; Fig. 2 is a similar view on a larger scale of a slightly modified form of stopper; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the device shown in Fig. 2, parts being broken away; Fig. i is a detail showing one ofthe birch bark disks adapted to be used in the structure shown in Figs. 1w; Fig. 5 shows a similar disk with the edges secured together against warping or curling with thread or line wire; Fig. 6 shows a similar disk with the edges bound together with metal clips, shown in detail in Fig. 8; Fig. 7 shows a section along the line 77 of Fi 6, and looking in the direction of the arrows; F 8 is a detail view of the clip; Fig. 9 shows one of the disks with a beveled edge, having the laminae secured against curling up with a gummed strip of paper or cloth, which is partly broken away; and Fig. 10 shows a section along the line 1010 of Fig. 9, and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring first to Fig. 1, A represents the neck of the bottle, 13 the ordinary metal cap for same, having the crimped edges Z), and C the inserted disk of birch bark.

ieferring now to Figs. 2 and 3, these show a similar device to that shown in Fig. 1, except that the metal cap is provided with a strengthening rib Z), which projects down into the top of the disk Qcausing the outer portions of the said disk to be bent upward, when the cap is forced in place, thus insuring both a stiffer cap and a better joint.

hen immediately assembled, the birch bark disk C may be cut out and inserted in the metal cap without any liability of the edges crimping up, and in such cases a simple disk C, such as shown in Fig. 4, is used. Where the birch bark disks are to be kept outside of the cap, it may be desirable- .to fasten the edges against curling up, and

for this purpose I may use fine 'Wire or thread, such as shown at e in Fig. 5; and I, may use metal clips 0, shown in Fig. 8, having the pointed ends 6' turned over, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, or the edges may be coated with glue or other adhesive, or cloth or paper strips, such as F, may be applied to the beveled edges 0 of the disks C shown in Figs. 9 and 10. Moreover, in assembling the disks in the metal caps, if desired, 3: may place glue or cement inside the cylindrical portion of the cap to engage the edges of the laminae oi the birch bark disks.

Having thus described my invention,\vl1at 1 claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A stopper for bottles, consisting of a metal cup-shaped caphaving crimpededges adapted to engagethe neck oi the bottle, and an integral disk of birch bark comprising a series of the natural laminae of said bark held in said cap, substantially as described.

2. A stopper for bottles, consisting of a metal cup-shaped cap having crimped edges adapted to engage. the neck of the bottle, and an integral disk of birch bark comprising a series of the natural laminae of said bark held in said cap, the edges or" said disk being tially as described.

.a series of the natural laminae of said bark held in said cap, the edges of said disk being beveled, substantially as described.

4. A stopper for bottles consisting of a metal cup-shaped cap having crimped edges adapted to eiwage the neck of the bottle, and an integral disk of birch bark comprising a series of the natural laminsc of said bark held in said cap, the edges of said disk being beveled, and said beveled edges being provided with fastening means to prevent the laminae thereof from curling, substantially as described.

5. A stopper for bottles, consisting of a metal cup-shaped cap, having an inwardlyprojecting ring stamped in the bottom thereof, and having 0 'imped edges adapted to engage the neck of the bottle, the said ring being spaced away from said crimped edges, and an integral disk of birch bark comprising a series of the natural laminm of said bark, and fitting snugly in said cap and pro jecting eyond the edges of said inwardlyprojecting ring, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE F. ELLIOTT.

Witnesses:

H. T. McKnEvEn, M. L. BnNzLnR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Ceznmissiouer of Patents. Washington. I). G. 

